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I have always tried to primarily vote my values and principles, but this election cycle, more than any other, has caused me to prioritize the future of our children and grandchildren–not at the expense of values and principles, but in the best hope of preserving them.

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October 19, 2016

How we miss Phyllis Schlafly. A great American patriot, she was feared
by her adversaries and revered by her admirers.
Her deep and abiding faith anchored her conservative views
and impassioned her voice with grace and power.
May God bless and kindle the memory of Phyllis Schlafly.

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July 21, 2016

The mainstream media (MSM) have bought into the new “party line”view of the events surrounding the recent Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OH. The Main Event: Trump vs. Cruz. After all, Cruz supporters were behind all the committee amendments and floor disagreements, weren’t they? One would think that the Trump anti-establishment/”rigged primary” forces would have distanced themselves from the party establishment and welcomed Rules Committee amendments from those wanting to decentralize RNC power and return it to the grassroots. So why the disparity? Why the strange bedfellows? These are questions the MSM should have been asking. These are the scenarios they should have been investigating. Here is part of what they missed:

1) Gen. Sherman’s “March to to the Sea” had nothing on Trump’s “March to Cleveland”
Domination was the name of the game: The final sweep of the primaries, the crushing of his opposition, the manhandling of RNC leadership, and mostly, the pillaging and silencing of the opposition. It was Trump’s “total war” strategy that forged the responses of the Republican Right coming into and continuing throughout the convention.

2) A very unAmerican thing happened at the RNC…the minority was silencedIn American politics, the saying goes, “The majority may have its way but the minority still gets its say.” Not at this convention. Yes, a bone may have been thrown to the right with another conservative platform passed through, but the platform means virtually nothing for all intents and purposes. (It has absolutely no teeth regarding what candidates and incumbents believe.) The spoils of party control fell to the Trump team and, combined with the vitriol of the RNC establishment for the conservative right, the Rules Committee leadership ran roughshod silencing amenders from the committee floor to the convention floor. It’s one thing for the majority to legitimately outnumber the minority, but it is quite another to mute and manhandle the opposition with parliamentary gymnastics and manufactured crowd response. Trumpteam forces and party establishment forcefully landed the one-two knockout to healthy debate decorum. This display of silverback dominance may one day be regretted when Trump leaders realize that the reform of “rigged” party rules was a goal in common with dissidents and a “yuge” opportunity missed by the Trump campaign.

3) The RNC is a party convention first and a convention party lastMuch of the media misunderstands this. The RNC is actually one long business meeting from Monday’s first gavel to last gavel late Thursday night. Yes there are balloons waiting to be dropped and candidates coronated with celebration. But to see this RNC as one big Trump party and to decry dissenting delegates as “party poopers” is almost tantamount to yellow journalism. Opposition to the new coalition party was almost uniformly reported as #NeverTrumpers or #UnbindDelegates, which could not be farther from the truth. (There were at least four delegate factions that had coalesced around rule changes.) Ted Cruz’s now infamous convention address was described not only as “political suicide” and “classless” but reported as crashing the party, as totally inappropriate and self-serving for a Trump-centered event. (Trump may control the RNC but he IS NOT the RNC.) Cruz was invited by Trump to address RNC delegates, Trump knowing full well in advance the content of the speech and that there would be no endorsement. There was absolutely nothing “anti-Trump” in Cruz’s speech. In fact, it was framed with congratulatory remarks and recommended priorities for a victorious campaign. How was that inappropriate and self-serving? Cruz was not promoting himself, he was promoting conservative constitutional values. He just didn’t do the PC (“Party Correctness”) thing. Media was fed the party line negativity and swallowed it hook, line, and sinker, then regurgitated it all over the airwaves.

4) Trump’s Primary Opponents: Cowards, Sore Losers, or Principled Champions?There were 17 candidates vying for the Republican nomination. Where were they and what were they doing and saying during convention week? Some came, some commented, some commiserated. Who was courageous leadership material and who was not? Political correctness takes on a whole new facet when media due-diligence is applied here.

These are a few of opportunities missed, overlooked, or hidden by not only mainstream media but some alternative media alike. (The back story and context are so influential to reporting the facts, and not just the perceptions of events.) I certainly understand that not everyone gets everything right all the time, maybe even most of the time. But media manipulation, from within and from without, is rampant as is personal and journalistic bias. None of us are without biases. But responsible journalism seeks and shares the truth, that is, if we still believe in truth. When media misses, overlooks, or buries the truth, then society suffers and grows more apathetic or indifferent toward it. The vision, the voice and the conscience of the people are compromised. Where there is no vision (of truth) the people perish–They cast off restraint. (Proverbs 29:18)

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July 20, 2016

The human soul is basically comprised of mind, will, and emotion. All are human attributes. These two weeks of political conventions display the breadth of human personality. This week, we have seen the “heady” side lay out a reasoned appeal for our support and vote in November, as well as the dark side of the week to come. Next week, we experience the “touchy-feely” side with an appeal to our emotions to react to the past week then embrace the present feel-good moment. Both perspectives are enticing because both are inherently human. Herein lies the rub: the will of each viewer will choose a side that appeals to them, based on which attribute is dominant within. Let me interject this: truth is what is most important. We must choose what is true. Without an independent basis and point of reference for what is true, either side could do. So what is the truth? How can one discern right and wrong? That is where a good conscience comes in handy to discern the difference. Consciences can be weak and also defiled and sometimes rendered untrustworthy. If that is the case then the choice of the will is a shot in the dark with no discernible direction. Let me encourage you to pray and get your bearings before you make a decision. Set your conscience according to God’s truth. In America, we have historically and traditionally called upon God and relied upon Him for His superintending power, protection, and provision. Divine Providence has always been our shield, our sword, and our strategy. I am praying in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that it will be so again.

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July 19, 2016

The makeup of the Republican National Committee of the RNC is not unlike the leadership mess we have in Congress, especially on the Senate side. The U.S. Senate and the RNSC (Republican National Senatorial Committee) love their power and position and they love using it. They will do what it takes to maintain their power structure even if it means losing an election cycle or two. The ring of power is too precious to give up. The RNC is cut from the same cloth. It, too, desperately needs reform. This year, that opportunity is passed. The Trump zealots were so blinded by their success, they literally “threw the baby out with the bathwater.” There was grassroots reform staring them in the face and they could not see it. They were blind to it by their single-minded ambition. And the “unity” message of the RNC establishment sucked them in to their clutches.

Last week, coalition forces of “NeverTrumpers,” lingering and former Ted Cruz supporters, and longtime grassroots organizers had banded together in the Rules Committee with a series of amendments to bring reform to the process and makeup of the RNC. The coalition was met with great resistance, but lost their bid because of the RNC establishment’s jealous and orchestrated use and abuse of parliamentary power. One could easily see the players and the strategy. Part of that reform coalition brought the fight to the main floor this week. As one could obviously see in Monday’s early business session, the establishment used the same heavy-handed tactics to dislodge any change. Then the bloodthirsty media went to work. Looking to distract and destroy, media outlets (mainstream and others) worked their spin magic laying blame for the dissension at the feet of the “NeverTrumpers.” (Just watch the interviews and how the questions were framed.) Between the RNC leadership and the media, they had their way with any reform. EVERYONE WAS PLAYED BY THE RNC.

All genuine conservatives owe a debt of gratitude for those who fought so valiantly for their cause—even if you did not share their specific cause—because the naked truth was revealed, and it revealed what it always does: power corrupts. The new and unlikely coalition of Unruh, Blackwell, Lee and Cuccinelli could be the new and emerging “fellowship of the ring” to eventually restore political power back into balance. We shall see. If traditional leaders of the conservative right would see this for what it is and swallow their pride, perhaps the coalition would grow and see victory next time.

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July 1, 2016

As Americans, do we really know the importance of the Declaration of Independence? It is not simply a 240-year-old list of grievances given to the King of England, although that is part of it, but it is a declaration “to a candid world” of what we believe about humanity and government. It is our unique American Creed. As Thomas Jefferson stated, “It was intended to be an expression of the American mind…to place before mankind the common sense of the subject.” (letter to Richard Henry Lee, May 8, 1825). Six years earlier, Jefferson wrote that the Declaration of Independence was a “Declaratory Charter of our rights, and of the rights of man.” (letter to Samuel Wells, May 12, 1819). Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines “charter” as:

1. A written instrument, executed with usual forms, given as evidence of a grant, contract, or whatever is done between man and man. In its more usual sense, it is the instrument of a grant conferring powers, rights and privileges, either from a king or other sovereign power, or from a private person, as a charter of exemption, that no person shall be empannelled on a jury, a charter of pardon, &c. The charters under which most of the colonies in America were settled, were given by the king of England, and incorporated certain persons, with powers to hold the lands granted, to establish a government, and make laws for their own regulation. These were called charter-governments.

2. Any instrument, executed with form and solemnity, bestowing rights or privileges.

Jefferson understood the Declaration as a pronouncement of human rights conferred. I would submit to you that the “sovereign power” conferring these rights upon us is God Almighty. In fact, God is referenced at least four times in the document from Whom man receives endowments and entitlements and to Whom man makes his appeal: Laws of Nature and Nature’s God, Our Creator, The Supreme Judge of the World, and Divine Providence. These four acknowledgments reveal the legislative, judicial, and executive nature of the Almighty. (Sound familiar? See also Isaiah 33:22 and James 4:12)

If one would strive to categorize the 27 grievances listed in the Declaration, one would see that the issues taken with the British Crown dealt with the lack of what we would call a “separation of powers” (thus the King was dubbed tyrannical). The harshest words were reserved for grievances dealing with the lack of “limited government” power, and, of course, there was the lack of “representation.” These three concepts became central to our Constitution and the new government which it organized.

I have saved the most obvious for last. Besides the observations mentioned above, there are at least 12 principles mentioned outright in the text of the Declaration of Independence (before and after the list of grievances) that show us the “American mind” of 1776 and the charter of rights to which Jefferson referred. I challenge you to read the Declaration and find them in the text. Here are the 12 principles listed in the order in which they appear in the document:

1) National Sovereignty, 2) Natural Law, 3) Self-evident Truth, 4) Human Equality, 5) Inalienable Rights, 6) the Inalienable Right to Life, 7) the Inalienable Right to Liberty, 8) the Inalienable Right to Property (characterized as the Pursuit of Happiness), 9) the Primary Purpose of Government (to secure and protect our rights), 10) Popular Sovereignty, 11) Federalism and States’ Rights, and finally, the principle of 12) Divine Providence.*

This is the American Creed. And these are the foundational principles upon which our U.S. Constitution is based. Our sixth President, John Quincy Adams, fluently and grandly spoke to this truth in an 1839 address:

Now the virtue which had been infused into the Constitution of the United States, and was to give to its vital existence, the stability and duration to which it was destined, was no other than the concretion of those abstract principles which had been first proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence – namely, the self-evident truths of the natural and unalienable rights of man, of the indefeasible constituent and dissolvent sovereignty of the people, always subordinate to a rule of right and wrong, and always responsible to the Supreme Ruler of the universe for the rightful exercise of that sovereign, constituent, and dissolvent power.

This was the platform upon which the Constitution of the United States had been erected. Its VIRTUES, its republican character, consisted in its conformity to the principles proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, and as its administration must necessarily be always pliable to the fluctuating varieties of public opinion; its stability and duration by a like overruling and irresistible necessity, was to depend upon the stability and duration in the hearts and minds of the people of that virtue, or in other words, of those principles, proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, and embodied in the Constitution of the United States. (Speech to The New York Historical Society, April 30, 1839)

Our beloved Constitution is based on the principles written into the Declaration of Independence. No wonder we celebrate July 4 and September 17! It is a celebration of what we hold dear as a nation. It is a celebration of our American Creed!

On July 4, remember our American Creed, the Declaration of Independence. Read it! Love it! Celebrate it! John Adams was our second President, father to John Quincy, and founding father to all Americans. I leave you with his reason for celebration–prophetic words which he penned in a letter to his wife, Abigail, the day following the vote on independence on July 2, 1776:

The second day of July, 1776, will be memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations, as the great Anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward forever.You will think me transported with enthusiasm; but I am not. I am well aware of the toil, and blood, and treasure, that it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of light and glory; I can see that the end is more than worth all the means, and that posterity will triumph…

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April 25, 2016

I certainly understand the principle of conscience when it comes to allowing diversity of opinion on issues of importance. But I also think the time has come, not to bind someone’s conscience, but to inquire precisely where a candidate stands on pertinent principles and issues. Politicians can easily dance around issues and principles in a number of ways, but a required specific disclosure of principles and views could change all that. How? Help the party platform grow some teeth. Require not so much conformity to it, but require specific disclosure of agreement and disagreement with it.

Party platforms are supposed to reflect the values of the majority of delegates at any given quadrennial period. But candidates and office holders are not bound to those values, nor are they held accountable for any infraction of them. What is needed is a method of disclosure of agreement or disagreement with platform planks. That way, consciences and preferences are preserved, but party members as well as voters can get a sense of where a candidate or office holder stands on issues and principles. It can also serve as a point of comparison with opponents. This gives some meaning and substance to the platform as a whole. Again, conformity to the platform is not required, but a specific disclosure of agreement/disagreement with it is.

All of that hard work on party principles and precise wording can mean something other than just a philosophical, esoteric exercise in ideals. It can mean something to the party and the party faithful. It can mean something to the voter. It can means something to the candidate as well as his opponent. It is time for the party platform to really mean something again. If I can make this application of George Washington’s grand statement, “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.” It is time for the party platform to be more than just a symbol, but a statement that defines the party, anchors the faithful, and unifies the whole.

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March 25, 2016

In American (and old European) culture, Christmas and Easter have been the two most popular Christian holidays for centuries–nearly two millennia. These two celebrations have historically brought more people to church than any other emphasis. Believer and non-believer alike have some sense of what both holidays actually mean to them. Both holidays have been equally distorted and commercialized as well. Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny may be as popular as Jesus Himself. A “holiday” used to have a purely “Holy-Day” meaning much more than what it has come to mean today. Over the centuries, the two Christian celebrations have morphed in meaning so as to affect all of culture, not just the “religious” culture.

But Bible-believing Christians must not forget what is the truth of the matter–the singular meanings of these two popular celebrations called Christmas and Easter. While Christmas may be the most popular and celebrated of the two, it does not have the overall emphasis in the Holy Scriptures and depth of doctrinal meaning as does Easter. Neither word appears in the Bible (You may find “Easter” appear once in some 17th century translations, but it is a more cultural rather than translatable word in the text.) Early on, both holidays were co-celebrated with popular pagan feasts, maybe to give everybody alike a day off with something to celebrate. These mixed holidays have probably been at least partly responsible for the diluted version of our celebrations today. Be that as it may, the Christian Christmas is not about Santa Claus (and his authentic St. Nicholas counterpart) and gift-giving; it is about the birth of the God-Man, Jesus, and His unique entry into human history. In the same way, the Christian Easter (if you will) is not about Spring and multiplying bunnies, it is about a historical event that happened in the life of this same Jesus. It is the life-altering story and the culmination of our new relationship with the God of the Bible–life-altering because it changes everything in the life of a believer, and culmination because it is the single-most important event in history that affects the end of time and of the world as we know it! It is an event that is mind-blowing and scientifically challenging, but an event of God-ordained design and necessity! It is the literal RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from a physical state of death to a physical state of life! This event changed all of history–in fact, it changed EVERYTHING! It is the event of the Resurrection of Jesus from the grave that launched the Church of the “living” God, the “Body of Christ” that assumed the responsibility of sharing the message of the resurrected Christ to a lost and dying world. Easter is the culmination of Christmas.

Jesus’ entry into this world was for the purpose of showing Himself as Savior and Lord–Savior as the one and only antidote to man’s plight of spiritual and physical death (because of sin), and Lord as the one and only who has conquered death, hell, and the grave. Jesus owns it because He overcame it, and He owns all of His creation by right of who He is and what He has done. God has given Jesus the name above every name, that at His name, everyone eventually declares Him Lord of all. The resurrection of Jesus on that first “Lord’s Day,” Sun(Son)day, was the day everything changed. Death died. All the effects of sin were obliterated. Hope was reborn in the human soul. Human death and misery gave way to life eternal in the paradise of God. Perfection became reachable and eternal life real! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men! Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!…

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever!Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.(All taken from the Book of Revelation)

Jesus is Lord of All. And because Jesus rose from the dead, so shall we who are His at His coming. Hear the Word of the Lord:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sinsaccording to the Scriptures,and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third dayaccording to the Scriptures,and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but somehave fallen asleep;then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. (Paul – 1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.The last enemy that will be abolished is death. (1 Corinthians 15:20-26)

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.But when thisperishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:50-57)

We may enjoy Christmas, but it’s all about Easter! And Easter is all about resurrection. Hosanna! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

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March 17, 2016

Just two days before Washington crossed the Delaware then went on to win the Battle of Trenton, these words (from a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine) were read to the Continental troops:

“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”

How dear is liberty to you?

Because liberty is dear to me, I will contend for the candidate who protects it not only with his rhetoric but his actions as well. No matter what the office, give me liberty minded people who know its worth, its cost, and the path to its defense. Whether it is the office of Dog Catcher or President of the United States, liberty must be understood and liberty must be cherished. Why? It serves the public good. It raises the level of any form of service to that of patriot and guardian of our God-given rights. It purifies our motives and clarifies our dreams. It is worth dying for as well as worth living for.

Liberty is a gift from God. He has designed us to live and move and have our being in it. Our liberty is what our Savior died for. Liberty is religious, liberty is spiritual and physical. Liberty is internal and external; it governs the mind and the body, our thoughts and our actions. It is civil and political, and economic. Liberty should be expressed in all I do and say. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s salvation and deliverance is to rescue us from bondage, the bondage of sin, and to bring us into liberty as children of God–to free us from sin and its affects–to change us and cause us to stand fast in the liberty for which Christ has set us free. This is why famous French historian and philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, who had visited America to find the source of its success, made this statement about America nearly 200 years ago:

The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other; and with them this conviction does not spring from that barren, traditionary faith which seems to vegetate rather than to live in the soul. (Democracy in America, Chapter 17)

Our love for Christ and His liberty should thrive in our soul! For the Christian, America should be the closest thing to heaven on earth. For the unbeliever, America is like no other place on earth because of what it has historically valued and protected from its inception…liberty through justice and order.

And when liberty is abused or threatened, the lover of liberty (both Christian and not) must act, not only in his own defense but also the defense of others. Its loss is too precious, too dear, and too costly to ignore.

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! (Patrick Henry)

For the astute, this position may be called “libertarian” or “liberal” (in the classic sense). But it cannot be denied that liberty is of Judeo-Christian origin. And for those who choose to ignore that fact, it certainly cannot be denied that the notion is American and naturally human. For it is “the laws of nature and nature’s God” that declare it!

When I find a candidate, for any position, who genuinely understands and articulates God-given liberty and its expression in his desired position, he will be what I am looking for in that office. Without it, we have only politicians. With it, we have patriots. Liberty–as it is emblazoned on our currency and hallowed stone, may it be so on our hearts.

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February 29, 2016

I have been supporting Josh Hawley in his primary bid for MO Attorney General since last October. This weekend I heard him in a debate forum at Lincoln Days in St. Louis. I am more convinced than ever that Josh Hawley is the right man for the job! His opponent, Sen. Kurt Schaefer, is a Jefferson City insider and a litigator with prosecutorial experience which he touts along with his long list of big business/lobbyist endorsements. As impressive as that may look, Hawley, an experienced U.S. Constitutional Attorney with significant victories in local, state, appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court, brings to the MO AG race a refreshing contrast and different perspective on the role of the office of Attorney General. In an age of political correctness and receding rights and liberties, Hawley makes the case for his expertise as the primary role of the state’s top lawyer–preserving, protecting, and defending the Constitutional rights and liberties of Missourians in a political culture of federal overreach and encroachment. Our personal liberties are greatly at risk. State sovereignty has been challenged more and more. The state is primarily tasked with protecting the rights of its citizens, as well as protecting their lives and property. I believe it is time for this emphasis to come to the forefront. Schaefer tried to make the case for Hawley’s lack of experience in prosecutorial matters, especially citing the past two dozen years of Democratic AG’s. It is time for a change. It is time to clean up Jefferson City. It is time for a Capital “outsider” to do it. It is time for someone to stand up for the Constitutional liberties of Missourians. It is time for a constitutionalist as Attorney General. It is time for Josh Hawley.

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February 2, 2016

I’m not a political junkie, but, I am very concerned about our country. The Iowa caucuses last evening showed the battle lines being drawn–a battle of classic opponents–an epic battle for the soul of America. (I know sometimes I might exhibit a flair for the dramatic, but this is not one of those times.) I seriously tell you that unless America wakes up and quickly gets educated and motivated, this summer’s political battle will turn America to the dark side–the complacent side of desiring more security at the expense of what is left of her liberty. Whether you like politics or not, it is time to pay attention to the polar opposite philosophies that are taking shape in our two major political parties. We must get educated, get inspired, and get involved. And we must do it quickly.

On one side, is the traditional conservative values of our nation’s founders, or at least what is left of it. This side stands in defense of those bedrock values espoused in our historic Declaration of Independence. These values have been purposefully, systematically, and incrementally undermined for the past 160 years by the fabian forces of the other side. It is the old enemy of creeping statist progressivism, the cultural undermining of collectivism over individualism, while the American culture has slowly become the proverbial frog in the kettle. The water temperature has crept up oh so slowly and unnoticeably. We have forgotten our past. Are we now doomed to repeat it? Our Dewey/Darwinist progressive educational system has so dumbed us down and lulled us into such dependency. Our federated levels of government protection with its checks and balances of power are in such a weakened state. Our impotent legislative branches have lost control over a runaway executive and judiciary. The balance of power has become unchecked as the American psyche has gone dark. The people do not speak because the people do not know. The light of truth has gone dim. It is the truth that can set us free, but the truth has long been abandoned and forgotten. Can we remember? Can we stir the embers and restoke the flame? Washington spoke of this “sacred fire of liberty”–can it be recovered?

In order for the truth to set us free, it must first be known or remembered. “You shall KNOW the truth, and the truth will set you free,” Jesus said. Not unlike King Theoden under Sarumon’s spell, America must remember the love for the truth and the liberty it brings. America must repent of her complacency and her falling out of love with the truth, then recognize and return to it to be delivered from the bondage of this ignorance. America is so like the Ephesian church in Revelation being beckoned back to her glory days. (Revelation 2:5) We have left our first love–God, our Truth (John 14:6). To recover it, we must remember, repent and return, our our lampstand of liberty will be removed. The church must lead the way.

Is it too late? I do not think so. But I believe we are desperately close to a point of no return. Do we have the will and the motivation to come back from the edge of this precipice? Only God knows, and only God can inspire it. What will you do with the ember in you? Will you fan it and let it shine, or will you just curse the darkness?

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December 26, 2015

I have always liked Christmas. Though there was a year or two when the commercialization of it and the pagan tradition of it made me a humbug, I got over it. Christmas is a great opportunity to share the truth of its Namesake and His purpose for coming to earth. God’s truth never changes and for that I will be eternally grateful, especially in a world that is always changing. Science balks at metaphysics and philosophical opinion (although all scientists bring their philosophy with them to the laboratory), and in this increasingly empirical world, we are forced to present hard collectible evidence and data to make any claim. God’s Word stands alone, having stood the test of time and scrutiny, in supplying a metanarrative that we simply call history–which to Christianity, is HIS-story. God so loved the world He had created, that He sent his one and only Son, conceived like no other, but born like all of us–man’s perfect God and God’s perfect Man–born in the lowliest of circumstances but with the most unique and heavenly birth announcement! The announcing angels said:

I bring you Good News of great joy which shall be for all people.
For today in the City of David, there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men!

This is good news, and it is still good news today! Whoever believes in Him as Savior and Lord shall have eternal life.

In my case, in spite of ditching real trees for artificial ones, having to wait on family members to spread out and share their Christmas vacation time with interstate relatives, and personally feeling more like a commuter rather than experiencing the preferred Christmastime-at-home, the blessing and message of Christmas is still the same year-after-year, decade-after-decade, and century-after-century: Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room; And heaven and nature sing!

May God continue to prepare your heart for His coming and once again arrest our attention from our earthly plans and pursuits, to focus on His indescribable gift. A blessed Christmas to you and God’s path through 2016!

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November 25, 2015

As part of his 1944 Thanksgiving Proclamation, President Franklin D. Roosevelt expressed the sentiments of Americans from coast to coast, and our American armed forces around the world. I think these prayerful words are certainly applicable for America today…

“For the preservation of our way of life from the threat of destruction; for the unity of spirit which has kept our Nation strong; for our abiding faith in freedom; and for the promise of an enduring peace, we should lift up our hearts in thanksgiving.
For the harvest that has sustained us and, in its fullness, brought succor to other peoples; for the bounty of our soil, which has produced the sinews of war for the protection of our liberties; and for a multitude of private blessings, known only in our hearts, we should give united thanks to God.”

B2a FDR in his cape LR.jpg

I may not agree with FDR’s politics but he was a real leader when America needed it. Principle ruled political correctness and prayer permeated the warp and woof of our national fabric. May God be the center of our national trust once again, and may public prayers of petition and thanksgiving be boldly offered without fear of rebuke or reprisal. We pray that God will continue to bless America.

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October 30, 2015

David tried the armor of the King, but settled for the slingshot to bring down Goliath. Joshua and Caleb did not agree with the “minority report” but stood alone on the Word of the Lord to enter the land of promise. These were true leaders who distinguished themselves on the field of battle and became champions of Israel. They did not win every battle. The odds against them were fierce and mighty. But they stood.

Washington DC has forgotten how to take a stand. To fall in line with establishment compromise and play the waiting game with the opposition is not good enough. It is far too late for that. The American people are fed up with business as usual. The action needs to come out from behind closed doors and onto the floors of Congress. We do not have time to wait–waiting falls into the playbook of the opposition. What we need is a courageous Congress to stand and to lead. That is what Ted Cruz is doing. ABC’s Brit Hume may call Cruz unpopular and unsuccessful. Hume can try his utilitarian, pragmatic argument, but he is missing the big point. Upon whom has the mantle of leadership fallen? Col. George Washington independently took charge at Monongahela (a lost battle, Brit) and distinguished himself as well as positioned himself to lead the American Revolution. (Washington was not highly regarded by British counterparts during the French and Indian War nor the War for Independence.–those dismissing “Brits!”) Nonetheless, GW was God’s champion for the hour. Our other founding fathers also laid their lives, fortunes, and honor on the line as they took their stand against overwhelming odds. The time for compromise was over. Action was needed, so they acted. America needs a champion today. America needs to rally around a champion today–the champion who best represents the truth. Action is needed today. Now is the time.

The “ring of power” in Washington must be exposed and eliminated. Where is the fellowship, the few, who will rally around the one? Who is that one? Who will take the stand?

Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church door on what was later called Reformation Day, October 31, 1517. The embers of reform were fanned into flame. He later, in taking the stand at Worms, declared his absolute conviction, “Here I stand, I can do no other…” The die was cast.

Where are the Davids, the Joshuas and Calebs, the Washingtons, Jeffersons, and Adams’? Where are the Frodos and Sams? Where are the Luthers and Zwinglis?

Ted Cruz is doing something…he is NOT doing nothing! Cruz is articulate and smart, he is a man of conviction and faith. He is a man of principle and of vision. He is passionate and compassionate, a man of the people, and unafraid to take on the opposition. What is there not to like about him? Is he perfect? No, only One can make that claim. Has America become so distrusting of politicians that she has lost her objectivity in observation? Conservatives of all stripes must realize this and rally to him who sends out the call and takes the stand for the cause.

To me, the field has narrowed quickly. For whom am I ready to fight? With whom am I ready to fight!

I suppose I could tolerate any of the candidates on the conservative spectrum. But why should I settle for toleration? As candidates take their stands, we the people must take our stand also. Are you ready? I am ready. On the eve of this Reformation Day 2015, I take my stand, I make my choice. I choose Cruz.